CORBYN critics are trying to sabotage Labour by supporting “trashy inexcusable journalism” that alleges the party has a serious anti-semitism problem, campaign group Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) said today.

It comes after a full-page £18,000 advert was taken out in the Guardian, co-signed by more than 60 Labour peers and members, claiming that Jewish people do not appear to be welcome in the party.

JVL spokeswoman Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi describes the complaints against Labour under Jeremy Corbyn as a “godsend” for the Tory government.

Prime Minister Theresa May waved the newspaper advert around during Prime Minister’s Questions today and used the subject to deflect Mr Corbyn’s questioning of the government’s lack of progress on the environment and to smear Labour as a “racist” party.

Author and activist John Rees said the lords should be ashamed of their attack on the elected party leader. 

“The first time the House of Lords was abolished in 1649 the Commons motion read that their lordships were ‘useless and dangerous’.

“Time to revive that motion,” he posted on Facebook.

JVL was also highly critical of last week’s BBC Panorama documentary, which broadcast accusations that Labour’s processes for stamping out racism are ineffective.

Ms Wimborne-Idrissi said it was “completely wrong” for the people interviewed to have claimed to represent the “identity of all Jews.”

She told the Star: “The entire documentary from beginning to end was a platform for people who are committed opponents to Corbyn and committed advocates for the state of Israel.

“There were blatant lies and serious deception in the programme, with a series of mainly young Jewish members alleging upsetting and disturbing allegations without reference to any evidence.”

She pointed out that interviewee Ella Rose had previously worked for the Israeli embassy.

Ms Wimborne-Idrissi also said that another interviewee, Ben Westerman, was a Labour staff member of former general secretary Iain McNicol “who has had it in for Corbyn from the beginning.” Mr McNicol is a signatory of the advert.

Former member of Labour’s dispute team Mr Westerman claims in the documentary that he was asked if he was from Israel when he visited Liverpool Riverside CLP.

JVL said that, according to a transcript of the conversation, he was actually asked by an elderly Jewish woman what Labour branch he came from. 

“He insinuates it was an anti-semitic comment from a member,” Ms Wimborne-Idrissi said.

“This is part of an underhand vitriolic baseless campaign against the anti-racist leader of this party.”